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applause

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: Applause

English

Etymology

From Latin applausus, from applaudō (“I strike against, I applaud”) (whence applaud).

Pronunciation

Noun

applause (usually uncountable, plural applauses)

  1. The act of applauding; approbation and praise publicly expressed by the clapping of hands, stamping or tapping of the feet, acclamation, huzzas, or other means; marked commendation.
    Synonyms: acclaim, acclamation, approbation, approval, commendation, plaudit; see also Thesaurus:applause, Thesaurus:praise
    • 1880, Mark Twain [pseudonym] (Samuel L[anghorne] Clemens), chapter XLVI, in A Tramp Abroad; […], Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company; London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 535:
      A few days before, the adulations and applauses of a nation were sounding in her [Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma's] ears, and now she was come to this!
    • 1904 April 30, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Six Napoleons”, in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., published February 1905, →OCLC, page 232:
      Lestrade and I sat silent for a moment, and then, with a spontaneous impulse, we both broke at clapping, as at the well-wrought crisis of a play. […] It was at such moments that for an instant he [Sherlock Holmes] ceased to be a reasoning machine, and betrayed his human love for admiration and applause.
    • 1916, Albert Bigelow Paine, chapter 57, in The Boys’ Life of Mark Twain:
      Livy never gets her share of those applauses, but it is because the people do not know. Yet she is entitled to the lion's share.
    • 2024 September 7, David Hytner, “Rice and Grealish start new England era with Nations League victory in Ireland”, in The Guardian‎:
      Rice’s celebrations upon his goal were controlled, muted. Not so those of Grealish, who lapped up the applause of the England fans behind the goal.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

applause (third-person singular simple present applauses, present participle applausing, simple past and past participle applaused)

  1. (obsolete) To applaud.
    • 1596, William Warner, chapter IL, in Albions England: A Continued Historie of the Same Kingdome, from the Originals of the First Inhabitants Thereof: […], 4th edition, London: […] [Joan] Orwin, for I[oan] B[roome] […], →OCLC, page 228:
      But (which had ſcarrefide our wounds, if wounded, with the Balme / Of her ſweete Preſence, ſo applaus’d as in Sea-ſtormes a Calme) / Her royall-ſelfe, Elizabeth our Soueraigne lawfull Queene, / In magnanimious Maieſtie amidſt her Troupes was ſeene.
    • 1628, Ios[eph] Hall, “Ahab and Michaiah: or, The Death of Ahab”, in Contemplations. The Nineteenth Booke., London, →OCLC, page 1286:
      Now Ahab ſees the ground of that applauſed conſent of his rabble of Prophets: […]
    • 1654, “Act. II.”, in The Tragedy of Alphonsus Emperour of Germany […], London: […] Humphrey Moseley, […], →OCLC, page 20:
      O ſacred Emperour, theſe ears have heard, / What no Sons ears can unrevenged hear, / The Princes all of them, but ſpecially, / The Prince Elector Archbiſhop of Collen, / Revil’d him by the names of murderer, / Arch villain, robber of the Empires fame, / And Cæſars tutor in all wickedneſs, / And with a general voice applaus’d his death, / As for a ſpecial good to Chriſtendome.
      Attributed to George Chapman, but generally considered a false attribution.

Further reading

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Latin

Pronunciation

Participle

applause

  1. vocative masculine singular of applausus

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